


Is Love Enough?

by Northjet



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2018-12-24 13:43:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12013989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Northjet/pseuds/Northjet
Summary: Just a little angst fest based on Nicole inadvertently finding out about Waverly's kiss with Rosita.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Not Beta'd so the mistakes are my own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta'd so all mistakes are my own.

Waverly tried to will the last few seconds to disappear but they wouldn’t. She had seen Wynonna out of the corner of her eye and could tell she knew she had messed up but currently Waverly’s full attention was on Nicole.

Nicole was frozen in place while a range of emotions flew across her face before settling on devastation.

Wynonna hadn’t meant for Nicole to hear her teasing Waverly about the kiss with Rosita given what Rosita had tried to do with baby Alice, but just as Wynonna had lobbed the snarky comment in Waverly’s direction, Nicole had walked through the door of the homestead and heard everything.

She was now rooted to the spot, tears shining in her eyes.

“Nicole…” Waverly started. She took a step towards the red head.

Nicole took a step back. Waverly’s heart plummeted.

“Is…is it true?” She asked her voice barely above a whisper.

Waverly knew the guilt was written all over her face. Nicole nodded slightly as a tear slid down her cheek.

“I’m sorry. It was a mistake.  I…NICOLE!”  Waverly had been anxiously trying to explain when the other woman quickly turned around and ran out the front door leaving Waverly to yell after her.

Waverly followed but Nicole was already in her cruiser peeling out of the driveway.

Waverly jogged a couple of steps towards the car but knew it was no use. Nicole was not coming back any time soon.

Waverly trudged back into the house and dropped down on the couch, holding her head in her hands while tears she had struggled to hold in started to fall.

She felt a dip in the seat beside her and felt Wynonna pull her into her arms.

“Baby girl, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

She wanted to be mad at Wynonna but she knew it wasn’t her sister’s fault. She should have told Nicole well before today.

Right now, she took the comfort that Wynonna offered and buried her head in Wynonna’s neck and sobbed.

\-----

After Nicole had driven away from the homestead, she pulled over to the side of the road for a few minutes and waited for her tears to subside.

Once she calmed down she decided she needed a drink.

She started the car and headed to Shorty’s. No chance of running into Rosita at least.

\-----

A few hours after Nicole left, Waverly was in her room trying to figure out how to fix the situation when her phone rang.

“Hello?” She answered.

“Hello Waverly. Your officer is here and she’s had a few too many.  Would you be ever so kind as to come by and drive her home?”  Doc’s voice responded.

Waverly was already up and halfway to the door.

“I’ll be right there. Thanks Doc!”

“You’re very welcome.”

Waverly hung up, quickly grabbed her purse and keys and headed to her car.

\-----

Nicole was drinking the water that Doc had placed in front of her since he refused to serve her anymore alcohol.

He had tried a couple of times to engage her in conversation but quickly realized she was in no mood and had left her to her own company at the corner of the bar. She could tell he was keeping an eye on her though.

She had asked him to call her a cab for her ride home but she had a sinking sensation that he had not called the cab. It was in the way he kept glancing at her while he was on the phone and after he hung up.

Her worst fears were realized when the door to Shorty’s opened a few minutes later and in walked the cause of her current heartache.

Waverly approached her timidly.

“Hey.” She greeted Nicole softly.

“I asked him to call me a cab. This is what I get for not doing it myself.”  Nicole mumbled.

Nicole saw the hurt flash in Waverly’s eyes and she instantly felt bad. She wanted to apologize but her own hurt kept her mouth closed.

“Are you ready to leave?” Waverly asked quietly.

Rather than answer Nicole stood up and indicated with her head for Waverly to lead the way.

When they were settled in the vehicle, Waverly turned to say something when Nicole interrupted.

“I’m not ready to talk about it yet. “

Waverly nodded and started the car.

The drive to Nicole’s place was silent.

When they arrived, Waverly finally spoke.

“We do have to talk about it at some point.”

“We will.”

“When?”

“Waverly…”

“Nicole, we should deal with this right away.”

Nicole felt an alcohol fueled frustration rise within her.

“I need some time Waverly. Don’t worry, I won’t kiss anyone else before we talk.”

The pain that comment caused Waverly was enough for Nicole to sober a little.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No. I deserved it.”  Waverly replied miserably.

“No. It’s why I need some time.  I’m angry, hurt, and drunk.  Not a good combination for a serious conversation.”

Nicole opened the door and placed a foot out when she felt Waverly grasp her hand. She reveled in the warmth for a moment before pulling away.

She stepped out of the car and closed the door.

She walked to her own door and entered her place without looking back because she knew if she turned around she wouldn’t be able to keep from crying.

\-----

Waverly watched Nicole as she walked away, silently pleading for her to turn around just once. When she didn’t, a dejected Waverly started her car and drove back to the homestead.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More angst of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this is not beta'd so all mistakes are mine.

Nicole trudged into the station having barely gotten any sleep the night before.

She sat down at her desk with a heavy sigh.

She straightened up with a start when she realized she would probably be seeing Waverly during the day.

As if by fate, she heard the door open and looked up to see Waverly and Wynonna entering. Waverly’s eyes sought her out right away.  Waverly lifted her arm and gave Nicole a little wave.  Nicole acknowledged it with a slight nod.

Just then a call came in about a disturbance. Nicole gratefully took the call and quickly walked by Waverly on her way to her cruiser.

\-----

“How’s it going with Haught stuff?” Wynonna gestured in the direction that Nicole left.

“Not good. She just found out.  It’s going to take a bit of time to work out.”  Waverly replied as they entered the Black Badge office.

“Why didn’t you tell her sooner baby girl?” Wynonna inquired gently.

They were alone in the office. Waverly weighed the question in her mind before answering.

“At first there was just so much going on. When it finally settled down I was going to tell her but I had waited so long and I got scared.  I knew I had to but I kept putting it off and then it was too late.  I love her so much and I’m afraid that I caused irreparable damage.”

“That woman loves you Waverly. The big kind of love.  The kind of love that you don’t just get over.  Yeah, she’s hurting now but give her some time.  She’ll come around.”  Wynonna commented.

“I hope so.” Waverly whispered.

\-----

Nicole decided to answer call after call and patrol so she could avoid being at the station as much as possible. She wasn’t ashamed to admit to herself that she was actively trying to avoid Waverly.

Unfortunately the last call she was on required Black Badge presence and all three of Dolls, Wynonna, and Waverly arrived.

Nicole couldn’t help but think back to the last fight she and Waverly had when they had to be on a case together. Waverly passively aggressively sniping at her had been embarrassing but she felt she had deserved it.

She had kept Waverly in the dark about the DNA results after all. She did it to protect her, but she realized pretty quickly that it was the entirely wrong thing to do.

Nicole knew the DNA issue and the whole Shae thing had hurt Waverly. She apologized for keeping both from Waverly and she had been forgiven.

Given that did she really have a right to be upset about the kiss? She thought about it but realized hurt wasn’t a competition and she had a right to her feelings regardless of past mistakes.

Nicole looked up to see Wynonna looking at her expectantly. She realized she was so caught up in her thoughts that she missed a question.

“Sorry, what was the question?”

Wynonna looked at her quizzically but responded.

“Who found the body?”

Nicole pointed out the witness and the three Black Badge agents headed towards him.

She noticed Waverly lagging behind a little and looking back at her.

Each of them being distracted by the other while working on cases was a recipe for disaster. Nicole knew what she had to do and resolved to talk to Nedley when she went back to the station.

\-----

Waverly had hoped to talk to Nicole while out on the call but Nicole had done everything possible to not be alone with her. Eventually the agents had to head back to the station while Nicole stayed at the scene for a little longer.

Waverly kept the door to Black Badge open while she kept her eyes peeled for Nicole to return.

When the door finally opened to reveal Nicole’s arrival, Waverly stood up and quickly headed towards her but she was too late.

Nicole had been oblivious to Waverly’s approach and had briskly walked to Nedley’s office, knocked on the door and entered when he answered. She had closed the door behind her.

Waverly frowned. She wondered why Nicole had to see Nedley so urgently.

Her gaze lingered on the door to Nedley’s office as she headed back into Black Badge.

\-----

Nicole shifted under Nedley’s gaze.

“Are you sure you want to do that Nicole? You’re not a rookie anymore so you don’t need to take the overnight shift.”  He asked finally.

“I think for now, it’s the best shift for me.” She stated firmly.

He sighed heavily and then nodded.

“Okay. I’m sure Lonnie will be glad to be on day shift.”

Nicole thought the conversation was over and started to stand up.

“Just one thing.” Nedley said.

Nicole sat back down.

“I’m not going to pretend to know why all of the sudden you want to switch shifts, although I have some ideas. One thing I will say is I’ve found hiding from problems is not the way to solve them.”

“That’s not what I’m doing.” Nicole stated defensively.

Nedley pondered her for a moment.

“If you say so Officer Haught.”

He looked back down at his paperwork and Nicole realized she was being dismissed.

She exited his office a lot less sure of her decision than when she first went in.

She headed to her desk only to find Waverly hovering around it.

“Hey.” Waverly greeted quietly.

“Hey.”

“Is everything okay?” Waverly asked gesturing to Nedley’s office.

“Yup.” Nicole answered as she sat down and pulled some files in front of her.

Waverly was silent for a second. When she realized nothing more was forthcoming she spoke.

“Okay, well I’ve got to head back.” She said pointing in the general direction of the Black Badge office.

Nicole nodded still not looking at Waverly.

Nicole looked up finally as Waverly walked away. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again.  She didn’t know what to say to her.  She knew she still loved Waverly with all her heart but the ache was too great to even begin to fix them.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole makes a decision but is it the right one?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me too much for this chapter. Nicole's still stuck in her head and Waverly is being reactive rather than proactive. Just a reminder, this is not beta'd so all mistakes are still mine.

Waverly eagerly anticipated seeing Nicole as she headed into the police station on Monday.

She hadn’t heard from or seen Nicole all weekend and that had been too long to be without contact.

She opened the door to the station and made a beeline to Nicole’s desk.

Her steps faltered when she realized Nicole’s seat was empty. Lonnie’s, however, was not.

“Hey Lonnie, don’t you usually work nights?” Waverly asked trying to sound upbeat.

“Sure do, but Haught wanted to switch shifts and I wasn’t going to argue when Nedley asked me.” He answered happily, oblivious to the sadness that washed over Waverly’s face.

“Haught didn’t tell you?” Lonnie asked.

“Um…uh…no. She’s been really busy and so have I.  Thanks Lonnie.”  Waverly mumbled as she walked away.  She wasn’t about to air their dirty laundry in public.

It hurt to realize Nicole had decided to switch shifts to avoid speaking to her.

Waverly headed to the Black Badge office. She looked up quickly to see Wynonna watching.  She realized Wynonna had heard the whole conversation.

“Wav…” Wynonna started.

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” Waverly interjected swallowing down the lump in her throat.

She strode towards the office with Wynonna following slowly behind her.

\-----

Nicole was settled at her desk during the night shift.

Save for a couple of calls, both of them at Shorty’s, it had been a pretty uneventful shift.

She heard the door of the station open and close. She looked up as Wynonna made her presence known.

“Fancy seeing you here at this hour Officer Haught.”

“Wynonna. Why are you here so late?”  Nicole questions in confusion.

“I could ask you the same question.” Wynonna threw a pointed look in Nicole’s direction.

“Well…I work here.” Nicole sassed.

“Nobody likes a smartass Haught sauce.”

“Clearly I’ve spent too much time with you.” Nicole teased.

Wynonna smirked at her but the smile quickly fell from her face.

Nicole knew she wasn’t going to like what was coming next.

“She’s hurting as much as you are you know.” Wynonna murmured.

“Wynonna…”

“I know she hurt you, but she loves you. And I know you love her.  Just talk to her.”  Wynonna urged.

Nicole regarded Wynonna for a moment. She admired how much Wynonna cared about Waverly.

“I’m not ready to face her yet.”

“She made a mistake. You’ve made them too.”  Wynonna pointed out.

“My mistake didn’t involve kissing someone else. Tell me something honestly Wynonna.  If I had been the one to kiss someone else, would you be having this conversation with Waverly right now or would you be trying to convince her I was no better than Champ and she should move on?”  Nicole challenged.

Wynonna’s silence was all the answer Nicole needed.

“That’s what I thought. It’s great how much you have Waverly’s back, but right now I need someone to have my back and it looks like the only person I can rely on for that is me.”

Wynonna regarded Nicole for a moment before speaking.

“You’re family Nicole. This doesn’t change that.  I hope you and Waverly can figure this out.  Although, don’t keep Waverly hanging.  You know how unfair that is.”

“That I do.” Nicole whispered, thinking back to the fight over the DNA results.

Wynonna nodded. She looked like she was going to say something more but thought better of it.

“Have a good night Nicole.”

“You too.”

Wynonna left Nicole to the rest of her shift and her thoughts.

\-----

As Waverly was getting ready the next morning she heard a soft knock at the front door.

She knew Wynonna had an early start to the day because Dolls wanted to check out a lead so Waverly was home alone.

She made her way to the door and opened it. When she saw who was on the other side her heart started hammering in her chest.

“Nicole.” She breathed out.

“Do you have a few minutes?” Nicole inquired softly.

Waverly nodded and moved aside to let Nicole in.

Nicole made her way into the living room and rather than sit on the sofa, she chose one of the chairs to sit in. Waverly sat down waiting for Nicole to begin when nerves got the best of her.

“Do you want something to drink or eat? Tea, orange juice, cof…”

“No thank you. Waves…”  Nicole faded out.

“Yes?” Waverly leaned forward as she encouraged Nicole to continue.

Nicole looked away.

“We keep hurting each other.” Nicole blurted out.

“Nicole…we’re not perfect. We are going to make mistakes.”  Waverly reasoned.

“I can’t look at you without thinking about the fact that you kissed Rosita.” Nicole admitted.

“I’m sorry. I knew it was a mistake as soon as it happened.  The only one I want to be kissing is you.”  Waverly rushed out.

Nicole looked at Waverly with an unfathomable sadness in her eyes.

“I think we need to take some time apart. Figure out what we really want and whether this relationship is something we really want.”

“I want it. I don’t need time.”  Waverly was desperate for Nicole to hear her.

“I wish I could believe that. I really do, but if you care about someone, you don’t kiss other people even when you are angry or hurt or confused or whatever.  Right now, Waverly I can’t see past it and while I’ve been asking for time I know it’s not fair to you to keep you waiting.”

“Nicole, don’t do this, please.” Waverly pleaded.

“I’m sorry Waves.” Nicole said clearly upset as she stood up and quickly walked towards the exit.

“I love you.” Waverly whispered as she broke down in tears but Nicole was already on the other side of the door.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly comes to a realization and decides to fight for her relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the great feedback!
> 
> Just a reminder, this story is not beta'd so all mistakes belong to me.

Waverly was still sitting on the couch when Wynonna arrived home hours later. The tears had dried up but the unbearable heartbreak remained.

“Hey baby girl…what happened?” Wynonna asked when she finally took a good look at Waverly.

Waverly remained silent, afraid that if she opened her mouth and spoke the words the tears would start afresh.

Wynonna sat down beside Waverly.

“Baby girl, you’re scaring me. Did someone hurt you?  Did something happen?  Do I have to grab Peacemaker and hunt someone down?”  Wynonna threw one question after another at Waverly.

“She broke up with me.” Waverly stated quietly as another tear rolled down her cheek.

Wynonna was silent for a moment before finally speaking.

“Did I hear you right?”

“Nicole broke up with me. She said we needed time apart to figure out what we wanted.”  Waverly confirmed.

“What the fu…it was one kiss!” Wynonna exploded.

“Apparently it was one kiss too much.”

“She needs to get over it.” Wynonna insisted.

“Wynonna. She has a right to be mad and hurt and because of that she wants to end things.  That’s her right too.”

“Waverly…”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I’m going to my room.”  Waverly stood up and headed towards the stairs while Wynonna stared after her concern etched all over her face.

\-----

Nicole had gone home after calling time on her and Waverly.

She had tried to sleep but she couldn’t. Loving Waverly had felt like it was going to be forever and letting go of the relationship had felt like losing a piece of herself.

She was doing busy work at home to pass the time before her shift.

She did laundry, paid bills, cleaned the place from top to bottom but nothing could distract her from the empty feeling in her heart.

She was about sit down and eat a snack when a loud knock at her door broke the silence.

“Haught! I know you’re in there!”

Nicole rolled her eyes when she heard Wynonna’s voice. Clearly she had heard the news.

“Open the door or I’m going to kick it down!”

“Okay, okay. Hold on.”  Nicole made her way to the door and opened it.

Wynonna did not wait for an invitation before barging in.

“When I talked to you before I didn’t expect you to take that conversation and decide to break up with Waverly!” Wynonna spoke without preamble.

“Wynonna, I don’t see how this is any of your business.” Nicole stated bluntly.

Wynonna was surprised by Nicole’s response.

“Nicole, you think I’m saying this just for Waverly’s sake but I’m saying this for your sake too.   You’re stuck so deep in your head that it’s the only voice you’re listening to.  You’re not listening to your heart.  You’re not talking to Waverly.  You’re letting your doubts drive your decisions and it’s going to bite you in the end if you don’t stop closing yourself off.  All of your problems with Waverly started because you didn’t talk to each other.  Just think about what I said, okay?”  Wynonna spoke gently.

Nicole gave her a nod but she could tell Wynonna wasn’t convinced.

“I hope you do Haught stuff. I’m going to leave you to it.  Later.”

Nicole watched as Wynonna exited her place. She knew Wynonna wasn’t entirely wrong.

\-----

Waverly had spent much of the evening in her room trying to figure out how everything went so wrong.

It was while she was thinking that she realized something. Nicole didn’t doubt her own love for Waverly; it was Waverly’s love for Nicole that she doubted.

Waverly had been giving her the space and time she requested but maybe it was time to be proactive.

But now she had to figure out what needed to be done.

She and Nicole needed to start communicating that was clear and Waverly decided just what she was going to do to make that happen.

She got up and made her way to the kitchen, a woman on a mission to get her woman back.

\-----

Nicole sat at her desk putting the finishing touches on a report.

The night had been rather quiet so she was spending quite a bit of time on the report.

She heard the door to the police station open and quickly looked up hoping for some sort of action.

She wasn’t expecting to see Waverly entering and coming to a stand at the front.

“Hey.” Waverly greeted.

“Hey…are you here to report something?” Nicole tried to keep the conversation professional.

“Nope. I realize the reaction to someone breaking up with you is not to seek them out right away but I’m not really willing to let this linger.”  Waverly stated matter-of-factly.

“I’m working Waverly.”

“Yes and I can see how busy you are.” Waverly replied dryly.

“Wav…”

“I’m not taking no for an answer. You get a break don’t you?”  Waverly probed.

Nicole sat back and sighed.

“Yes I do.”

“Have you taken it yet?” Waverly questioned.

“No.” Nicole responded.

“Good. I made some food.  I’ll set up the food in the break room.  Give me about 5 minutes and then come and join me.”

“Waverly, shouldn’t you be sleeping right now?”

“No, I have something more important to do.” Waverly answered.

“Waverly…”

“Nicole, we need to talk…please.” Waverly pleaded.

Nicole thought back to Wynonna’s earlier words. She did need to start listening to other voices besides her own and truth be told she wanted to at least get to a point where she could be in a room with Waverly without hurting.  Working nights was not something she enjoyed.  The sooner she could transfer back to days the better.

“Okay, let’s talk.” Nicole acquiesced.

Nicole noticed Waverly’s sigh of relief.

“Thank you Nicole.”

Nicole nodded and noticed the small smile on Waverly’s face as she made her way to the break room.

They were going to talk.             


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Nicole and Waverly's first conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I try to update every Wednesday and that seems to be working well.
> 
> Hope you like the chapter and thanks for all the feedback.
> 
> Just a reminder, this is still not beta'd so all mistakes are mine.

Waverly sat across from Nicole trying to figure out how to start the conversation and decided small talk was the way to break the ice.

“How’s the pasta? I know it’s not much but I wanted to get something ready in time for your break.”

“It’s good. Home cooked meals are always nice.  Thank you Waverly.”

Waverly smiled in response.

Silence descended upon them and Waverly realized she wanted to talk so she was going to have to direct the conversation.

“How do you like working nights again?”

“To be honest, I don’t love it.” Nicole admitted.

“You didn’t have to switch shifts.” Waverly pointed out gently.

Nicole sighed heavily and slumped in her seat.

“Yes I did. Waves, listen, I have to get back to work.”  Nicole tried to exit the conversation.

“We’ve barely talked. Just a little more time…please.”  Waverly implored.

Nicole sat back and looked down at the table.

“What do you really want to talk about Waverly? Because this can’t be it.”  Nicole stated.

Waverly looked at Nicole while she weighed her words.

“You said we keep hurting each other. We should work through those hurts.”

“Waverly, I’m not sure now is the time to pull at that string.” Nicole said doubtfully.

“If we work through the issues then maybe we can come out of this together. At the very least maybe we can figure out a way to be okay with each other.”  Waverly pushed.

“I don't know…” Nicole was still not convinced.

“You start.” Waverly pressed.

“What? Why would I start?  You wanted to talk.  Why don’t you start?”

Waverly shook her head.

“I always set the pace, it’s your turn. There has to be something that hurt you before the…ki…the Rosita thing.”

Nicole started shaking her head.

“Come on Nicole. You said **we** keep hurting each other.  There is something else I did that hurt you.  Not talking ab…”

“Black Badge!” Nicole blurted out loudly, surprising Waverly.

Clearly it surprised Nicole. Waverly noticed Nicole’s eyes had widened in shock.

“Nicole…I did that to protect you.” Waverly explained softly.

“I know it’s a moot point now because of Black Badge’s status, but it felt like you didn’t respect my ability and what I could bring to the team. It also felt like I was on the outside looking in again.  I hate that feeling.  I don’t have a lot of people in my life and I finally felt like I was being included with the group and it hurt when you took it away from me.”  Nicole confessed.

Waverly sat silently taking in what Nicole had said.

“I never meant to make you feel like that Nicole. I know how smart you are.  I know how great a police officer you are.  I just…wouldn’t be able to handle it if something happened to you.  Look what I did when you were poisoned by the widow.”  Waverly responded.

“What happened with the widow is proof that you can’t protect me from everything and I don’t expect you to. The lives we lead mean that danger can always be around the corner.”  Nicole pointed out.

“I know…but Nicole, my first instinct is always going to be to try to protect you if I can. I’ll be more careful in the future about ensuring you have a say in any sort of decision like that though…okay?”

Nicole nodded.

Waverly wasn’t naïve enough to believe that everything was fixed between them but she was glad that at least one issue had been addressed.

Nicole glanced at the clock and turned to Waverly.

“I really do have to get back to work now.”

“Okay, same time tomorrow then. We’ll talk more.”  Waverly said.

“Waves…”

“I’m going to clean up and then I’m going to head home. I’ll be back tomorrow at the same time…okay?”  Waverly wanted Nicole to have a say.  If she really objected to the idea then Waverly would have no choice but to respect her wishes.

Nicole considered her for a moment and then nodded. She turned and left.

Waverly watched her leave with a small smile on her face. They were making some progress.  It was small but it was something.

\-----

After Waverly had left Nicole thought about their conversation.

She was actually relieved that she was finally able to verbalize to Waverly why the Black Badge exclusion had hurt her so badly.

Waverly’s reaction was understandable. Of course she would try to protect Nicole.  Truth be told Nicole would probably have felt the same way but it was important that they allowed each other the space to be involved in those kinds of decisions.

While she had dreaded the conversation initially, she actually felt good about the outcome of this particular talk.

She was hoping the future conversations would elicit the same result but the Rosita one was a conversation Nicole still had no interest in. The pain was still fresh and Nicole wasn’t sure there was any way through that conversation that could result in anything positive for her and Waverly.

At the end of the day she could only let the conversations happen and see where they led.

\-----

When Waverly reached home, she tried to be quiet but unfortunately she knocked over a lamp and that brought a sleep disheveled Wynonna running into the living room waving around Peacemaker and yelling.

“Who’s there? I have a big ass gun and I’m not afraid to use it!”

“It’s me Wynonna.”

“Waverly? What are you doing up at this hour?  Where were you?”

“I went to see Nicole. We talked.”

Wynonna dropped the hand holding Peacemaker.

“You did? How did it go?”  She asked softly.

“It went well.” Waverly responded with a smile.

“Are you to back together?” Wynonna inquired hopefully.

“Oh no. Not anywhere near but we made some progress.  That’s what matters.”

“I’m glad baby girl. I hope you two can work this out.”  Wynonna said honestly.

“Me too. Thanks Wynonna.”

Waverly kissed Wynonna on the cheek and headed up to her room to sleep.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another day, another conversation between Nicole and Waverly, but is Waverly getting ahead of herself?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not beta'd so all mistakes are still mine.

Somehow they ended up in a stare down.

It was the second dinner and Waverly had wanted Nicole to continue talking, but Nicole wanted Waverly to talk about something that she needed cleared up. Waverly refused and now they were just sitting and looking at each other neither one budging.

Nicole finally broke the silence.

“It’s a shame you came by for no reason Waves. If we’re not talking I’m going to head back to work.”  Nicole pushed her chair back and started to stand.

Waverly couldn’t let this be the end of the night. She leaned forward in her chair.

“Nicole...wait.”

“What’s the point Waverly? Neither one of us is talking and I could be getting some work done.  Thank you for dinner.”

Nicole walked towards the door of the break room.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me you were married?”

The question was asked so quietly Waverly thought for a second Nicole hadn’t heard. But she had.  She had stopped walking and her back had stiffened slightly.  To her credit, she turned back around and returned to her seat at the table.

She rubbed her face with her hands and then sighed.

“To be honest, I was embarrassed. I was going to tell you, but stuff kept happening and it never seemed like the right time and then all the sudden I was in love with you and I still couldn’t find the right time.  I now realize there really wasn’t any right time.  I should have told you I was separated from the start and for that I apologize.”

The apology was genuine and Waverly appreciated it.

“I’m not sure how I would have reacted to be honest. Everything was changing and I’m not sure what another thing on top of everything else would have done to me, but I do wish you had told me from the start.  I do think we were always going to end up together, Nicole.  You being separated wouldn’t have changed that.  Thank you for the apology though.”

Nicole nodded.

“Since we wasted so much time staring at each other, I do have to get back to work now.”

“Okay. I’ll clean up.  So…same time tomorrow?”  Waverly asked hopefully.

“Actually, I’m off tomorrow.” Nicole responded regretfully.

“Oh, we can pick up the day after then.” Waverly tried not to sound disappointed but she knew she had failed.

Nicole regarded Waverly for a moment.

“I’m keeping the same schedule on my days off so as not to mess up my sleep too much. You…you can come over tomorrow night and we can talk some more if you’d like?”  Nicole offered.

Waverly was pleasantly surprised.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Nicole replied.

“Okay, I’ll be there!” Waverly couldn’t hide her excitement.

“You don’t have to bring food this time. I’ll make something for us.”  Nicole stated.

“Thank you Nicole.”

“No thanks necessary. It’s only fair I feed you after you’ve fed me the last two days.  I should go back now though.”  She stood up and headed for the door.

“Oh Nicole? I still do think it.”  Waverly indicated.

“Still think what?” Nicole asked confused.

“I still think we’re meant to end up together.” Waverly admitted.

Nicole stood stunned for a moment and then cleared her throat.

“Um…okay. I’ll see you tomorrow Waves.”

Waverly couldn’t stop her smile even if she tried. Talking through their problems seemed to be working well.

She finished cleaning up and walked out of the break room. She sent a tiny wave in Nicole’s direction and headed home.

\-----

Nicole sat at her desk replaying the dinner in her mind and second guessing whether she should have invited Waverly over to her place.

She held her head in her hands.

“Idiot.” She whispered to herself.

“I think you’re being too hard on yourself Haught.”

Nicole jumped when she heard Dolls’ voice.

“Geez! Wear a bell next time!”

“Sorry.” He said smirking slightly, not looking sorry at all.

“What are you doing here so early?”

“I couldn’t sleep. Had a lead I wanted to follow up on and figured I might as well come in and do that.”  Dolls explained.

“All work and no play…” Nicole teased.

Dolls smirked.

“So…Wynonna mentioned you and Waverly…”

“Not talking about it with you Dolls. I’m all talked out for today.”  Nicole stated bluntly.

He was quiet for a moment.

“I hope you two can figure it out.” He said sincerely.

Dolls and her weren’t particularly close but she appreciated the moment of kindness.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Dolls tipped his cap at Nicole and then headed to Black Badge.

\-----

It was the next day and Waverly was at the homestead having just finished recounting to Wynonna the second successful conversation between her and Nicole.

Waverly could tell Wynonna was considering her words and was hesitant to speak them, which was not at all like Wynonna.

“What?” Waverly probed.

“I’m glad that things are going well, but it sounds like you haven’t had the big conversation yet. That one may not go the way the others have and you need to be prepared for that baby girl.”

“Wynonna, I’m not getting ahead of myself. I know we still have some stuff to work through, but can’t I be happy about what we have dealt with so far?”

“Yes you can…just remember what I said, okay?”

“Fine, I’ll be careful.” Waverly said grudgingly.

“I’m just trying to look out for you. It’s habit and it won’t go away any time soon.”

“Thanks Wynonna.” There was more warmth in Waverly’s response this time.  She did appreciate Wynonna looking out for her.

“I have to go in. Dolls seems really excited about a lead he’s been working on.  You’re taking the day?”

“Yeah, the late nights are kicking my ass so I’m going to rest up before I see Nicole tonight.”

“Okay, have a good day baby girl.”

After Wynonna left, Waverly lay down on the couch and pondered whether she was getting ahead of herself. Nah, she thought.  Things were going well and it was worth being excited about.

She fell asleep looking forward to making more progress with Nicole.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly and Nicole have a tense conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ladies aren't quite over the angst yet.
> 
> Thanks for the feedback and kudos.
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter.
> 
> As always, this is not beta'd so all mistakes belong to me.

Nicole was rushing around her place making sure it was clean while she awaited Waverly’s imminent arrival.

Truth was, besides cooking, she had cleaned her place two or three times over.

She was nervous. This was the first time Waverly would be back in her place since Nicole found out about the kiss.

Talking at the station was different because anyone could interrupt and it was neutral ground. This time it would be just the two of them.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

She walked to the door and checked to see who was there. After the run in with Mercedes widow, she wasn’t taking any chances.

Waverly’s smiling face was on the other side of the door.

Nicole opened it and graced Waverly with a small smile.

“Waves, come on in.” Nicole opened the door wider to allow Waverly entry.

“Thanks.” As she entered Waverly handed Nicole a bottle of wine.

“You didn’t have to bring anything.” Nicole said.

Waverly shrugged.

“I didn’t want to come empty handed.” She murmured.

“Have a seat in the living room. I’ll crack this bottle open and pour us some wine.”  Nicole stated as she headed into the kitchen.

Nicole took the brief time in the kitchen to calm her nerves. A quick gulp or two from her glass of wine also helped in that regard.  She picked up the glasses and headed to the living room.

“What have you been up to today?” She asked Waverly as she handed her one of the glasses.  She noted that Waverly had chosen to sit on the sofa so she chose one of the chairs by the sofa.

“Just research really. You know me, once I become focused on something, time gets away from me.  How about you?”  Waverly responded.

“Mostly housework.” Nicole replied.

Silence descended upon them.

Nicole broke the quiet.

“Let’s go have dinner before we dive into this conversation.”

“Sounds good.”

Nicole stood up and led Waverly to the dining table.

\-----

Dinner had been pleasant but neither woman had been particularly talkative.

Now they were back in the living room avoiding looking at each other while trying to figure out how to broach the topic of the night’s conversation.

“I told Wynonna about the test results. She says I’m her sister regardless of the tests.”  Waverly said softly.

“Waverly…I’m really sorry about what I did. Like you were trying to protect me with Black Badge, I was trying to protect you but it wasn’t my place.  If I could, I would undo it.”

“I know Nicole. I’m sorry I was so hard on you.”

“Do you know though? Because you thought I was trying to control you and I’m sorry I made you feel that way.”  Nicole stated miserably.

“No Nicole. I know you weren’t.   There was a lot going on and I took it out on you.”

Waverly noticed a flinch cross Nicole’s face but it was gone right away.

“What’s wrong?” Waverly questioned.

“Nothing.” Nicole mumbled.

“We’re trying to clear the air here Nicole. You can’t keep things in.  Something’s bothering you.  Spill it.”  Waverly urged.

“It’s just…all the things we did that we’ve talked about…we weren’t actively trying to hurt each other but…” Nicole trailed off.

“But?” Waverly encouraged.

“Then you sent that text, the dear control freak one and that was without a doubt meant to hurt me.” Nicole pointed out.

Waverly sat back, a pain settling in her chest.

“I was reeling and I handled everything wrong. The only real relationship I had before this one was with Champ.  I reacted in ways I would have if I was with him.  I know I didn’t handle things maturely and that is because that was what my relationship with Champ was…immature.  It’s what I was used to.  I should have known better.  You’re not him and this relationship is so much more than what I had with him.”

Waverly could see Nicole wasn’t entirely convinced.

“I wish I had talked to you instead of shutting you out. I wish I hadn’t gone to that spa with Rosita.  I wish I could take back that text and the kiss.”

“But you can’t.” Nicole said sadly.

“Nicole, you were right about the fact I wasn’t ready for the results. That coupled with you keeping them from me…I was spiralling and I made many poor decisions during that time.  I know now though.”

“You know what now?”

“I love you Nicole. This is worth fighting for…you’re worth fighting for.  I lost my way there for a bit but I know what matters now.”  Waverly was desperate for Nicole to understand.

Nicole looked to the side and then swung her eyes back to Waverly.

“I’ve always known what was important.” She said with conviction.

Waverly’s stomach fell.

“Nic…”

“I think we’ve talked enough for today. We should put this on pause and continue tomorrow during my shift.”  Nicole stated, her jaw set.

Waverly’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Okay.” She stood up and walked to the front door.  She could hear Nicole following behind her.

She put her shoes on and was about to reach for the door knob when she heard Nicole speak.

“I just don’t get it. After the way Champ behaved during your relationship, how could you ever let someone you say you love feel that pain?”

Waverly steeled herself and turned back around to face Nicole. It looked like they were going to be talking about the kiss after all.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The unthinkable happens but maybe cooler heads will prevail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully people aren't too upset with the events of this chapter but I kind of thought this was best for them at this juncture.
> 
> Just remember the story is angst with a happy ending.
> 
> Still not beta'd so all mistakes belong to me.

Nicole stood there stunned. She had meant to usher Waverly out and go about her night but her treacherous brain had other ideas.  She blurted out the question that had weighed heavy on her mind ever since the kiss happened.

She watched as Waverly’s back stiffened and as she turned around to face Nicole.

Waverly looked equally shocked.

“What?” Waverly asked softly.

“Nothing. Just forget it.”  Nicole rushed out.

Waverly shook her head.

“Nicole, I do love you. I lost my way and I…”

“You kissed someone else. Forgive me if I’m having a hard time believing that someone who loves me could do that.”

“I did a horrible thing and I’m so sorry, but I do love you. Everything about that kiss was wrong.  I knew it as soon as it happened.  I wish I could undo it.  I really do.”  Waverly said softly.

“I wish you could to, but you can’t. Can…can I ask you a question?”

Waverly nodded.

“What if I had been the one to kiss someone else?” Nicole could see the question had thrown Waverly.

Nicole could see several emotions flash across Waverly’s eyes.

“Did you?” Waverly whispered.

“Of course not, but my question is how would you feel if it was the other way around?” Nicole pressed.

She could see Waverly struggling to respond so she leaned against the wall and waited.

\-----

Nicole’s question had sent Waverly in many different directions but just the thought of Nicole kissing someone else caused a pain to settle in her heart. If this was even a fraction of the pain she caused Nicole then she didn’t know how Nicole could ever forgive her.

Tears formed in Waverly’s eyes. She struggled not to shed them.

“It would break my heart.” She admitted.

Nicole nodded. Waverly noticed Nicole swallow before asking the next one.

“Would you be able to forgive me even though you know how much I love you?”

Waverly wanted to say yes, she really did but she knew she couldn’t.

“No.” This time the tears did start falling.

“I want being in love to be enough. I do Waves, but...I don’t know how it could be.”

“What are you saying Nicole?” Waverly needed to hear the words even though she knew they would hurt more than anything she has every felt.

This time Nicole’s tears started to fall too.

“I’m going to miss you Waves, but it’s…it’s…”

“Say it.”

“This is over. I’m sorry.”  Nicole breathed out.

“Me too.” Waverly felt the walls closing in.  She had to leave.  She grabbed the door knob and quickly exited.

She rushed into her car and rested her head on the steering wheel while she sobbed.

\-----

Nicole couldn’t move away from the front door.

She had broken Waverly’s heart but she had also broken her own.

She had always known this conversation would be the hardest but a small part of her believed they would come out of it together. It never dawned on her that she wouldn’t be able to find her way past the betrayal.

She was numb. She slowly made her way to the living room, sat on the sofa and started sobbing.

\-----

Waverly avoided the station while Nicole was scheduled to be on shift as much as she could in the days following the split.

She had found out from Wynonna that she hadn’t needed to do that as Nicole had taken a couple of weeks off. Wynonna wasn’t sure where Nicole was as she hadn’t seen her around town.

Waverly had hunkered down in her room and was focused solely on research and thinking. She had come to some conclusions about her and Nicole and wanted to share them with her but wasn’t sure how receptive Nicole would be.  Add in the fact that she didn’t know where Nicole was and it was moot.

Wynonna entered her room and threw her jacket at her. Wynonna had been good about giving her space and time but there was no fixing a shattered heart and it appeared that Wynonna was done with Waverly hiding away in her room.

“C’mon baby girl. We’re going to Shorty’s.”

“You go. I’ll stay here.”  Waverly mumbled.

“Nope. You’re coming with me, or I’m going there and bringing a ton of people back here to party.”

Waverly glared at Wynonna but she relented.

“Fine. But I don’t want to stay there too long.”

“That’s my girl.” Wynonna said with a grin as she led Waverly out the door.

\-----

Nicole had planned on taking a road trip. She felt like she needed to get away from Purgatory and Waverly.

She spent a couple of days on the road and promptly turned around. Driving had given her plenty of time to ruminate on her and Waverly.  Maybe they hadn’t fought hard enough for the relationship.  Truth was Nicole still felt like Waverly was the love of her life and she wasn’t sure walking away completely had been the best idea.  She had let her pain overwhelm all her other thoughts but she hadn’t considered the endless ache that would reside in her heart after breaking up with Waverly.

She entered Purgatory and was about to head home. Instead she turned towards Shorty’s.  A nice cold beer sounded good right about now.  She was also a little hungry.

She stepped out of the car and headed into the bar.

She thought about grabbing a table but since it was just her she ended up sitting at the bar. The new bartender sauntered over to her and took her order.  While she waited for her food, he poured a beer for her.

She took a sip of the beer and savoured the taste of it.

She went to take another sip when a rather intoxicated individual bumped into her arm and sent the rest of the beer splashing down the front of her top.

She turned to the offender ready to tear him a new one when his friend spoke.

“I’m sorry Officer Haught. I lost my grip on him.  I’ll get him out of here right away.  Sorry again.”

She waved him off. He breathed a sigh of relief and dragged his buddy out of the bar.

Nicole hadn’t noticed the seat beside her was now occupied.

She grabbed a few napkins to try to wipe up the mess. She was about to stand up and go to the washroom to try to clean her shirt some more when a voice she would know anywhere froze her in place.

“I didn’t know Shorty’s had wet t-shirt competitions.”


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly needs Nicole to hear some truths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not completely enamoured with this chapter, but to be fair, I've had that feeling with other chapters.
> 
> Hope those of you reading like it.
> 
> Still not beta'd so mistakes are still mine.

Nicole turned her head sharply to her right.

“Waverly.” She whispered.

“I’d like to talk to you Nicole, but only if you want to.” Waverly said gently.

Just seeing Waverly again had eased the pain in Nicole’s heart so she quickly nodded her agreement.

“Go clean your shirt. I know from experience how uncomfortable a beer soaked shirt can be.  I’ll be here when you get back.”  Waverly instructed.

“Actually, I’d rather go home and change into a new shirt. Did you want to meet at the diner in about half an hour?”

It was Waverly’s turn to nod.

“Okay, I’ll see you then.”

Nicole stood up and gave Waverly a soft smile before heading to the door.

\-----

Waverly tapped Wynonna on the shoulder.

Wynonna had been playing pool with a couple of Shorty’s regulars.

“Hey baby girl, what’s up?’

“I’m heading out.   I’ll come by and pick you up at close.”  Waverly responded.

“What? We just got here.  Just stay, I’m sure it’ll pick up.”  Wynonna urged.

“Wy, I’m going to the diner to meet Nicole.”

“She’s in Purgatory? I thought she left town for a bit.”

“Apparently not. I’m going.  Will you be okay until I get back?”  Waverly asked.

Wynonna gave her a dubious look in response.

“Alright, alright. I had to ask.  I’ll see you later.”  Waverly gave her a wave and turned to leave.

“Hey, go get your girl back.” Wynonna encouraged.

“I’m going to try.” Waverly smiled at Wynonna and left.

As Waverly stepped out of Shorty’s she considered taking the car to the diner but it was a nice night and not far away so she decided to walk.

She thought about what she was going to say to Nicole and whether she should plan it out but realized it had to come from the heart. It couldn’t be rehearsed, so she took the time to enjoy the walk and before she knew it she was at the diner.

She entered the diner and looked around. She noticed Nicole hadn’t arrived yet.  She settled into A booth and was quickly approached by Doris, the waitress.

“Hey Waverly, what can I get you?”

“Just a tea while I wait for Nicole.”

Doris’ eyes widened and Waverly realized she and Nicole were a hot topic in the rumor mill.

Doris cleared her throat.

“Tea…coming right up.”

“Thank you.” Waverly said with a tight smile.

Doris walked away. Just then Waverly heard the bell indicating someone had come in.  She inhaled deeply and looked up at the door.  She let the breath out slowly, relieved to see Nicole standing there.

Nicole made her way over and sat across from Waverly.

“Let’s talk.” Nicole said without preamble.

\-----

Nicole was about to speak again when she was interrupted by Doris.

“Officer Haught! I thought you had left town.   What brought you back so soon?”  Doris asked.

“I was looking for something, but I realized I could only find it here.” Nicole answered, looking meaningfully at Waverly.

Nicole noticed Waverly blushing.

“Okayyyy. What can I get you Officer?”

“I’ll have cheeseburger, fries, and a coffee. Thanks Doris.”

“Did you want something to eat Waverly?” Doris turned to address the other occupant of the booth.

“I’ll just have a bowl of tomato soup and some toast. Thanks.”

Doris left to get their orders started.

“Wav…”

“Nicole, wait let me start.” Waverly interrupted.

Nicole indicated with her head for Waverly to continue.

“Do you know what I first noticed about you?” Waverly inquired.

“What?”

“Your confidence. How could I not?  You walked into Shorty’s and started flirting with me without batting an eyelash.  It was intoxicating.”

“I was a nervous mess.” Nicole admitted.

“What?” Waverly’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“I came into a closed bar and asked for a coffee, Waves.” Nicole pointed out.

Waverly snorted.

“Well when you put it that way…”

“Hey, in my defense all I had heard about was how great you were. It was a little daunting.”  Nicole defended herself with a smirk.

“Well, to your credit I didn’t notice anything…except you.”

Nicole knew she was blushing.

“The more I learned about you the less I could deny what I felt for you.” Waverly continued.

Nicole was captivated.

“Your loyalty, your bravery, your kindness…everything that makes you who you are is what fits perfectly with me. Make no mistake though, you and I aren’t perfect…but we’re perfect for each other.  I did something incredibly stupid by kissing Rosita and all my brain was doing during that time was screaming how wrong it was.  The lips were wrong; the feelings behind it were missing.  Kissing Rosita made me feel worse than I’ve ever felt.  Being with you though Nicole…I’ve never felt anything like it before.  I didn’t know what being in love was until I met you.  I’m still learning what it is to be in love actually, but what I do know is that when bad things happen, you’re the one I want to find comfort in, when good things happen, you’re the first person I want to share them with, when I picture the future there is no scenario that doesn’t include you…and I hope you feel the same way too.  Nicole, I can’t promise I’m not going to make any more mistakes, but one thing I can promise you is that I won’t ever take your heart for granted again.  The only person I want to kiss is you.  I love you Nicole and the question I have is…do you think you can ever forgive me?”


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole's turn to share some truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, there isn't much left to this one. Maybe one more chapter.
> 
> I do have two other Wayhaught fics started so I'll be starting to share those at some point.
> 
> Thank you for all the feedback.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter.
> 
> As always, not beta'd so all mistakes are mine.

Nicole sat back after Waverly’s speech.

Her mind was going a mile a minute and she needed to take a second before she responded.

“Nicole?” Waverly prompted.

“There’s more wrong with us then just the kiss Waverly. We keep things from each other because we think we have to protect each other but when we do that we end up making things worse.”  Nicole admitted.

“Ni…”

“If we’re going to give this a proper go then we have to do it right. Instead of making decisions for each other and keeping things from each other, we have to talk to each other.  I know neither one of us is perfect Waves, but we can do better and we should do better…what we have together is worth that.”

Waverly nodded.

“I’m not going to lie to you Waverly, the kiss hurt. It tapped into an insecurity I didn’t realize I had until this happened.  I felt like maybe you didn’t want to be with me anymore.  Why would you seek that kind of comfort from someone else?  I thought maybe you were done with me.”  Nicole confessed.

“No, no, no. I’m never going to be done with you Nicole.  You are it for me.  I’m sorry I hurt you so much.”  Waverly interjected.

Nicole put her hand up to stop Waverly.

“Waves…no more apologies. I know you are and I know you mean it.”

“Does…does this mean you can’t forgive me?” Waverly asked timidly.  Nicole could see tears shining in her eyes.

Doris chose that moment to arrive with their orders. Nicole noticed Waverly surreptitiously wiping the tears from her eyes during the interruption.

After placing their dishes in front of both ladies, Doris spoke.

“Can I get you ladies anything else?”

Waverly shook her head.

“No thanks Doris.” Nicole gave her a small smile.

With a nod, Doris headed back to the counter.

As Nicole bit into her cheeseburger she could feel Waverly’s eyes on her. Nicole quickly chewed the bite and swallowed.

She swung her eyes to meet Waverly’s.

“When I first got here I was a little in over my head. I didn’t know anyone here and I was trying to learn a new job.  Policing is policing but things work a little differently in a small town and of course, this is no ordinary small town.  I was slowly getting to know some of the townspeople and to a person they gushed about this wonderful girl named Waverly who worked at Shorty’s.  I knew I would have to stop by and meet this person people spoke so highly about.  The first good decision I made was moving to Purgatory, but the best decision I made was walking through Shorty’s door to meet the beer drenched bartender who has this town’s heart in the palm of her hands.  I knew right away you were special, I just didn’t know how special.  I flirted of course.  I couldn’t help it but then I found out about the boy man so I realized in that moment I could just walk away and not look back.  The thing is I didn’t want to.  The more I got to know you I realized if friendship was all that we had then friendship was good enough because…it’s you and I’d still have you in my life and I was better for it.”

Nicole paused to take a sip of her coffee. Waverly watched her intently.

“I never thought we would happen until that day in Nedley’s office when it actually happened. That was one of the happiest days of my life.  The longer we were together, the deeper I fell and I knew that a life without you would never be acceptable to me ever again.  These past couple of weeks have been awful because you’re still the love of my life Waverly.  I meant it when I said I’d be by your side for however long you want me to be.  We make mistakes Waverly.  We’re human.  I believe you when you say I’m it.  I believe you when you say you don’t want to kiss anyone else.”  Nicole stated firmly.

The tears were now falling freely down Waverly’s face.

“So you’re saying…” Waverly whispered.

“I’m saying, in answer to your question, yes I can forgive and yes I do forgive you.” Nicole replied.

\-----

Waverly sat and stared at Nicole for a minute, not sure she heard her correctly.

“Y…y…you forgive me?” Waverly stammered.

Nicole nodded resolutely.

“You still want to be by my side?” Waverly questioned softly.

“Forever.” Nicole responded without hesitation.

Waverly knew there were people in the diner and that ideally she should wait until they were in private, but she couldn’t wait. She launched herself from her side of the booth to Nicole’s side of the booth.

She pressed soft kisses to Nicole’s mouth whispering “I love you” between each kiss.

Nicole laughed fondly and pulled away gently resting her forehead against Waverly’s.

“I love you too. Listen, as much as I’m enjoying this, lets finish eating and then head back to my place. Okay?”

Waverly reluctantly pushed herself away from Nicole.

“Fine. Spoil sport.”  She grumbled good naturedly as she headed back to her side of the booth.

Nicole grinned and winked at her in response.

Just as Waverly was about to eat her soup, she looked up at the woman she loved.

“Thank you Nicole.” She said gently.  She wasn’t entirely sure she deserved forgiveness but she was grateful for it.


	11. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little epilogue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we've reached the end of the road with this story.
> 
> Thank you for all the feedback!
> 
> Just a reminder I do have a couple stories started. I am going to try to have a few chapters each completed before I start posting. Hopefully I'll be able to start posting in a week or two.
> 
> Hope you enjoy the epilogue.
> 
> As always, this story is not beta'd so all mistakes are mine.

Nicole stepped out the front door of the homestead and stood against the railing on the porch. She stared at her surroundings and took a deep breath.

It had been a hard day for everyone and an impromptu party had begun in order to allow all the usual suspects to unwind.

She was enjoying the festivities but wanted a moment of quiet.

She and Waverly had been back together for about six months now and things were going really well. Sure they still fought every once in a while but usually it was about minor stuff that was easily overcome.  They had been good about not hiding things from each other and keeping their promise to communicate when problems did arise.

Nicole continued to look out at the vast area surrounding the homestead. She heard the door open and close quietly behind her.  She knew who it was without looking.

Waverly made her way to the railing and stood beside Nicole.

“Hey.” Waverly greeted softly.                        

“Hey yourself.” Nicole returned.

“Is everything okay? You’ve been out here for a bit.”  Waverly observed.

“It’s fine. Just needed a little quiet after all the chaos of the day.”  Nicole responded.

“Oh…did you want me to leave you alone?” Waverly asked as she started to pull away.

Nicole quickly reached her arm out and pulled Waverly into her side.

“Not at all.” She smiled down at Waverly.

Waverly burrowed in as close as possible and leaned up and planted a quick kiss on Nicole’s lips.

They stood together silently for a few minutes.

“We almost lost this.” Nicole said softly.

“But we didn’t.” Waverly pointed out as she gripped Nicole tighter.  Nicole responded in kind.

“I’m so glad we figured it out.” Nicole admitted.

“Me too.”

“I love you Waves.”

“I love you too.”

Nicole leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Waverly’s lips. The kiss quickly became heated, only ending when the door to the homestead opened and Wynonna’s voice broke the silence.

“Hey lovebirds! Time to come in out of the cold!”

Nicole grinned as Waverly threw a scowl at Wynonna.

“We’ll be right there!” Waverly went to throw one of her gloves at Wynonna, but Wynonna was too quick and the glove hit the closed door.

“Sorry about her.” Waverly murmured to Nicole.

“I’m used to it by now.” Nicole said in reference to Wynonna’s interruptions.

“We should get back in there though. It’s only a matter of time before she comes back.”

Waverly took Nicole’s hand and started pulling her towards the door. She noticed that Nicole wasn’t moving.  She turned around and stared at her quizzically.

“You’re beautiful.” Nicole stated, her voice full of feeling.

She watched as a blush rose up Waverly’s face.

“You are too.” Waverly responded shyly.

The demure look on Waverly’s face left Nicole with a stirring deep inside.

Waverly still had a hold of her hand and gently tugged her forward and kissed her passionately.

Nicole pulled away.

“If you keep doing that, there is no way we’ll make it back inside.”

Waverly smirked, gave her hand another tug and pulled her towards the door.

As Waverly opened the door, Nicole knew it was time to start ring shopping.

 

**THE END**


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